The 15th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization originally planned for April this year and postponed following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, was held from Sunday, 4 to Wednesday, 7 December 2011 in Kyoto, Japan at the Kyoto International Conference Center (ICC Kyoto).

The Meeting considered the challenges of realizing decent work across Asia and the Pacific, mindful of the region’s great diversity, the impact of natural disasters and rapidly changing social, economic and political developments in the Middle East. The central message of the regional meeting, as originally planned, continues to be highly relevant to all countries, social partners and people in this region. Employment and social protection, backed by fundamental principles and rights at work and social dialogue, are critical to the recovery and to the pursuit of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Greater regional cooperation plays a key role in meeting the 2015 objectives of the Asian Decent Work Decade and in helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.